Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto is planning to set up a watchdog for the national nutrition agency BGN, which had just undergone a sudden leadership shake-up.

On Wednesday morning, Nanik S Deyang stepped down from her post as BGN chief, citing health reasons. The resignation meant she only held onto the position that oversaw Prabowo’s flagship free meal program for less than 2 months. In her farewell post, Nanik wrote that Prabowo wanted her to still keep an eye on the program’s governance.

“Mr. President will likely establish a supervisory board with me at the helm. I think I still have the energy to do some nagging, as long as I don’t deal with money. Seriously, it’s very traumatizing,” Nanik wrote with smiling emojis.

Prabowo didn’t want to leave the seat empty for long. He quickly picked Deputy Agricultural Minister Sudaryono to replace Nanik. Asked about the board, Sudaryono replied that he had not received further information on its establishment.

“But the point is, we will do our job properly,” Sudaryono told the press shortly after briefing the BGN staff for the first time as chief.

“It would be even better if we have the supervisory board. Especially if we can have such a board and you [the media] as the private watchdog. If something goes wrong, you may report it. I’m open to all initiatives.”

He also described the free meal program as Prabowo’s “political tender” in response to calls for a halt to the meal rollout. The program was a centerpiece of Prabowo’s campaign in the 2024 presidential race. The retired army general believes that making sure the kids don’t go to class hungry can tackle stunting and supercharge the economy. 

“We will focus on improving the governance, providing healthy and safe nutrition, … and creating positive effects on the economy, particularly the rural areas,” Sudaryono said.

The program has met some setbacks, ranging from cost-heavy operations, mammoth-sized budget, mass food poisoning, and corruption. Indonesia seeks to provide meals for up to 82.9 million people across the country, be it schoolchildren, toddlers, and expectant mothers.

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) had arrested BGN ex-head Dadan Hindayana over alleged corruption, which led to Nanik taking over his position. AGO remains open to summoning Nanik for questioning despite her recent resignation. 

Nanik admitted to having suffered from heart disease. She plans to receive medical treatment abroad.

Public policy expert of UPN Veteran Jakarta Achmad Nur Hidayat said the watchdog is feasible.

“However, this supervisory board must be independent and have access to transaction data, not just a group that gives advice,” Achmad wrote to the Jakarta Globe. 

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